Pencil-holder.



PATENTE-D MAY 10, 1904.

R. A. NICHOLS PENCIL HOLDER.

APPLIOATIOH FILED FEB. 11, 1999;

NO MODEL.

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UNITED STATES Patented May 10, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

PENCIL-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 759,739, dated May 10, 1904.

Application filed February 11,1899. Serial No. 705,240. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROLAND A. NIoHoLs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of Worcester and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have inventeda new and useful Improvement in Penoil-Holders, of which the following is a speciflcation, accompanied by drawings forming a part of the same, and in which- Figure 1 represents a front view of a pencil-holder embodying my invention with ar ticles contained therein. Fig. 2 is an enlarged central sectional View on line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of one end of the pencil-holder on the plane of line 3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the toothed clamp by which the holder is attached to the garment. Fig. 5 is a view of a sheet-steel blank from which the metal front of the pencil-holder is made by bending said blank into shape on the dotted lines, and Fig 6 is a top view of my pencil-holder.

Similar reference letters and figures refer to similar parts in the different views.

My invention relates to that class of pencilholders which are designed to be attached to the edge of the pocket of a vest or other garment; and it consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter described, and pointed out in the annexed claims.

Referring to the drawings, A denotes a.

metal front, consisting of a narrow strip of resilient sheet-steel having a spring-temper and provided with a lug 1 projecting from the center of one side and having two rectangular holes 2 2, separated by a narrow strip 3. The ends of the metal strip A are bent at right angles on the line a a, forming flanges 4 1. The central lug 1 is provided on opposite sides with wing-pieces 5 5, which are bent on the broken lines 66 at right angles to the lug 1, and the lug is then bent nearly parallel with the metal strip A, as shown in sectional view in Fig. 2, forminga hook to receive the edge of the pocket between the metal strip A and the lug. The wings 5 5 are provided with holes 6 6 to receive the gudgeons 7 7 of a clamp 8, which is pivoted between the wings 5 5 and is provided on one edge with a projecting tailpiece 9, by which the elamp is rocked, and on the opposite edge with teeth 10, which are preferably curved. The strip 3 extends between the inner teeth 10 and is arranged to be pressed upon and be deflected by the edge 11 as the clamp is rocked and the edge 11 moved between the strip 3 and its axis, said strip acting as a spring to hold the clamp in position when in engagement with the cloth of the garment, or in position shown in Fig. 2. When the clamp 8 is rocked on its gudgeons bylifting the tailpiece 9, the teeth 10 are withdrawn from the garment and the points of the teeth are raised above the strip 3, bringing the clamp into the position shown by the broken lines 12, Fig. 2.

The flanges 4; 1 are connected by a flexible strip B, preferably of leather, the ends of the flexible strip B being attached to the flanges 4 4 in any suitable manner, in the present instance-by means of the curved clips 13, which are compressed over the ends of the flexible strip B and the edges of theflanges 4 1, thereby clamping the ends of the flexible strip securely to the flanges. By referring to the drawings, and more particularly Fig. 6, it will be seen that the metal strip A is curved 01' bowed when the several parts are assembled, the said curved metal strip when bowed in the form of an are being longer than the leather strip B taken as a chord between the flanges 4: 1 of the metal strip A. The flanges 4 1 are preferably provided with a small lip 14, turned outwardly and adapted to engage the flexible strip B, whereby to facilitate holding the parts together. Before attaching the flexible strip B to the metal front A, I preferably bend or curve the metal front A slightly, as shown in Fig. 6, so the elasticity of the front A will exert a constant pulling strain upon the flexible strip B for the purpose of holding it taut. The flexible strip B has 'its upper edge extending, preferably, above the upper edge of the metal front A, as shown at 15, Figs. 1 and 2, and the opposing sides of the metal front A and flexible strip B may be covered, if desired, with some material to afford a frictional resistance to the passage of a pencil between the strip B and the metal front A, such friction material consisting of either soft leather or of cloth having a heavy nap or pile 16, as shown in sectional view represented in Figs. 2 and 3. The metal front A is but slightly bent by the flexible strip B connecting its ends, so that the space between the opposing surfaces of the flexible strip B and metal front A are considerably less than the thickness of the pencil or other article to be held, and as the pencil or other article is inserted between the metal front A and flexible strip B the latter will be bent back, drawing on the flanges 4 4 and slightly increasing the curvature of the metal front A, which exerts a constant strain to draw the flexible strip B tightly across the pencil and clamp the same between the strip B and the front A.

When the pencilor other article is inserted between the strip B and front A and at the central section of the holder, the strip B and front A are separated at the center, and the space between them gradually decreases from the center toward each end of the holder, the strip B and front A forming upon each side of the center of the holder two acute angles with their apices at each end of the holder, thereby enabling thinner objects to be securely held by inserting them in the holder nearer its ends. Articles of varying thickness can therefore be held by placing the thickest in the center of the holder and the thinnest nearest its ends, as illustrated in Fig. 1, which shows an article of considerable diameter held in the center of the holder and a thin comb and pair of scissors held near the ends of the holder. WVhen the articles are removed from the holder, the elasticity of the metal front straightens the flexible back B and the holder assumes its normal position,

as represented in Fig. 6, the flexible strip being at all times held taut by the elasticity of the metal front A similarly to the string of a bow. I am aware that pencil-holders have been made of two steel plates connected at the tips and adapted to hold a pencil between them, and such I do not claim. The metal front A also presents a rigid wall to the opposing surfaces of the flexible strip B, which facilitates the entrance of the pencil to the holder.

The fastening device comprising the rocking toothed clamp 8 I consider a preferable means of attaching the holder to the garment, which is accomplished by placing the body of the holder inside the pocket with the downwardly-turned lug 1 overlapping the outside of the pocket, which is engaged by the teeth 10 by rocking the clamp 8 in the position shown by solid lines in Figs. 1 and 2. None of the holder when in use is therefore in sight except the fastening device and the projecting upper edge of the flexible strip B, the metal front A and flexible strip B, immediately behind it being wholly concealed in the pocket.

In the fastening device as herein shown and described the holder is prevented from dropping down toward the bottom of the pocket by means of the lug 1, which hooks over the end of the pocket, and. the holder is prevented from being lifted out of the pocket as the pencil is withdrawn by means of the toothed clamp 8; but that portion of my invention which embodies the bow principle whereby to the ends of said metal strip, said non-resilient strip being slightly shorter than said resilient strip, the resilient strip being bowed or bent in the arc of a circle to which the shorter non-resilient strip stands in the relation of a chord.

2. In a pencil-holder, the combination of a risilient metal strip forming the front wall of the holder, means for attaching said metal strip to'the garment, and a flexible non-resilient strip forming the rear wall to theholder, said strips having their ends attached, one strip bowed and the other held straight thereby, substantially as described.

3. In a pencilholder, the combination of a hooked lug connected to the pencil-holding device-and having openings separated by a yielding strip, parallel wings projecting from said lug, a'clamp pivoted in said wings and over said yielding strip and teeth on said clamp arranged to engage the garment, substantially as described.

4. The combination of plate A,flexible strip B, connected at its ends with the ends of said plate, a hooked lug 1, having openings 2, 2, separated by a yielding strip 3, and having wings 5, 5, and a clamp pivoted in said wings and over said yielding strip and having teeth 10 arranged to engage the garment, substantially as described.

Dated this 8th day of February, 1899.

ROLAND A. NICHOLS.

W'itnesses:

RUFUs B. FowLER, ELIZABETH GRAY.

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